A SENIOR Whitehall civil servant this week came to an East Lancashire secondary school to outline the government's approach to breaking down barriers between different communities.

Penny Hobman, deputy director of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, was the keynote speaker Blackburn Central High’s 'Embracing Diversity' conference.

Monday's national seminar into breaking down barriers to integration within school and college communities also heard from Blackburn with Darwen Council's chief executive Harry Catherall on the borough's progress with its pilot for the national Social Integration Strategy.

Associate head of BCHS Shanaz Hussain said: "The aim was to help us all to work together with a common purpose."